Symptoms

General symptoms caused by constipation are pain in abdomen, heaviness in stomach, wind formation, coated tongue, headache, loss of appetite, pain in lower legs, hypertension, feeling of fever, nausea, vertigo, palpitation and drowsiness.

Causes

If a person does not pass stool at least once in 24 hours, he is considered to be constipated according to Ayurveda. The best is to pass in the morning after waking up. Constipation is caused by wrong bowel habits, improper eating habits that is eating food which is difficult to digest, for example eating too much meat and not eating enough vegetables and salads. It is also caused by not sleeping or sleeping late in the night, irritable colon, colitis, emotional disturbance like stress, grief, fear, worry etc. Other causes are mechanical obstruction of the passage of stool, accumulation of toxins in the colon, indulging in sexual act in the morning and excessive stimulation of nervous system by any methods. Excessive smoking, taking too much tea and coffee, intake of too many drugs and antibiotics etc. can also cause constipation. It can also be present as an associated symptom of some diseases like fever, infections, nervousness and insomnia. According to Ayurveda it is mainly caused by aggravation of Vata (air) though it can sometimes be caused by aggravation of pitta and kapha.

Remedies

1. In case of constipation one should be very careful with the use of laxatives as they can often weaken the colon due to their strong action. They should be taken only in acute conditions. It is better to use simple diet remedies. A lot can be recovered by proper eating habits.
2. Eating freshly cooked food is helpful. Spices like cumin seeds, coriander, turmeric powder, fennel and asafetida is good as it makes the food easily digestive.
3. Proper chewing of food is very important.
4. There should be at least four hours difference between two meals. Drinking some fruit juices between two meals is all right.
5. Eating all day is completely wrong and causes many diseases. One should eat only when he feels hungry.
   Lunch should be the main meal because during the noon time, the digestive fire is extremely strong. Breakfast and dinner should be light.
6. Eat your dinner at least two hour before sleeping.
7. Do not mix too many kinds of foods in one meal.
8. Take plenty of leafy vegetables and salads.
9. Do not drink water one hour before and one hour after the meals. Drinking while taking meals is all right. Drinking butter milk at the end of meals is very good specially at lunch time.
10. Drinking a glass of warm milk at the time of going to bed helps in evacuation, the next morning. In case of severe constipation mixing two tea spoonful of castor oil in the milk is very helpful.
    Do not stay up late in the night. Regulate your sleeping hours. Ayurveda advises to go to bed early and rise early. Two hours of sleep before midnight is better than four hours after midnight.
11. In the morning after waking up, drink about one liter of water, preferably warm water, walk around in your room for a few minutes and then go for evacuation. This helps in cleaning the bowels.
12. In case there is an accumulation of ama (toxins) in the colon, which is the case if the tongue is coated, fasting is beneficial.
13. Use of oil or ghee (clarified butter) in the food helps in cleaning the stools.
14. Massaging the whole body with oil once or twice a week and applying oil or ghee on the naval every day helps in curing constipation.
15. Taking lemon juice mixed with warm water two or three times a day also cleans the bowels.
16. One or two tea spoons of aloe gel can be taken twice a day.
17. An enema with warm water in case of severe conditions gives immediate relief. Enema with half cup of sesame oil mixed with half cup warm water is beneficial in case of dry and hard stools.
18. One tea spoon of psyllium husk with a cup of warm water at the time of going to bed during the night is a nice remedy for constipation.
19. Very common Ayurvedic medicine for constipation used by many Ayurvedic physicians is Triphala Churna. It is a powder made by grinding three kinds of fruits or herbs. This powder is now available in many western countries. 3 to 6 gms. of this powder taken at the time going to bed with warm water or milk helps in having a clean bowel motion the next morning.

Diet and Regimen

The patient should follow a diet which can be easily digested by him. It is advised to take ample fruits, fruit juices, salads, leafy and green vegetables. Whole grain bread can be taken. Unpolished rice can be taken moderately. Papaya is also good.
Fried foods and beans should be avoided. Vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli are not good. Nuts and dry fruits should also be avoided.

It is very much necessary to form a habit of evacuating early morning. Try some techniques like drinking water in the morning and going for evacuation. Even if there is no pressure one should go for passing. After a few days you will be habituated and it will start coming on its own. Regular physical exercise is also important for having clear bowels. One should try to have relaxed mind, free from anxiety, stress etc. The sleeping hours should be regulated and efforts should be made to have a sound sleep.